{"id":254,"date":"2018-08-19T14:01:39","date_gmt":"2018-08-19T19:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bscmultisport.com\/blog\/?p=254"},"modified":"2018-08-19T14:01:39","modified_gmt":"2018-08-19T19:01:39","slug":"rpe-a-lost-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/bscmultisport.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/19\/rpe-a-lost-art\/","title":{"rendered":"RPE – A Lost Art?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"RPE\"Most of you have likely heard of RPE \u2013 Rate of Perceived Exertion \u2013 at some point.\u00a0 Many of you may have even done some training or racing using it.\u00a0 But in this day where power meters, heart rate monitors, GPS watches and data analysis software are the norm; is there any room for a subjective measurement like RPE?<\/p>\n

I believe that RPE is more important now than it\u2019s ever been.<\/p>\n

In a sport that is becoming increasingly dominated and reliant upon technology, athletes \u2013 triathletes, cyclists, and runners \u2013 are losing the \u201cfeel\u201d that separates the good from the great.\u00a0 The best and most successful athletes know at any given moment precisely how hard they are working.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t matter if they are at an easy endurance pace or an all-out VO2 MAX effort.\u00a0 They KNOW \u2013 without technology.\u00a0 That knowing is the key to performing and excellence.<\/p>\n

What is RPE?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

RPE is a subjective measurement of how hard you are working during exercise \u2013 swimming, cycling, or running.<\/p>\n

I remember using a simple 1-10 scale during my swimming career to gauge \"Borghow hard we were swimming during workouts.\u00a0 A few years later while I was in college, I was formally introduced to the \u201cBorg Scale of Perceived Exertion\u201d (shown at right).\u00a0 Of course, my first thought was it was ridiculous.\u00a0 I mean really, who thinks of a scale of numbers going from 6-20?<\/p>\n

Over the years, the RPE scale has been modified into a 1-10 scale from Very Easy, to Maximal Exertion.<\/p>\n

Why Use RPE?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Last weekend the USAT National Age-group Championships took place.\u00a0 Just two days before she was leaving to compete, one of our athlete\u2019s sent me a text \u2013 \u201cHey coach, my power meter is no longer providing data.\u00a0 I\u2019ve contacted the vendor, they\u2019ve diagnosed it and are going to overnight replacement parts, but they don\u2019t know for certain it will fix the problem.\u00a0 Looks like I will be competing at Nationals without my power meter.\u201d<\/p>\n

That pretty well highlights one reason you should use RPE.\u00a0 Technology fails; batteries die.\u00a0 If your only method of accurate pacing is using your technology, and that technology fails for whatever reason, you will suddenly \u201cbe blind\u201d and unable to accurately pace your event.<\/p>\n

Perhaps more importantly however, a device such as a power meter is telling you what your power output is \u2013 150 watts is 150 watts.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t matter if you are going uphill, downhill, battling a headwind, or riding on a flat surface.\u00a0 What it doesn\u2019t provide you is a snapshot of what else might be taking place that effects performance \u2013 heat, humidity, fatigue, etc.<\/p>\n

For example, if you are chasing a power target of 150-watts, which you may have done repeatedly in training on a 75-degree day; then on race day you\u2019re still chasing that 150-watt target, but the temperature is 95 degrees, you will quickly find yourself over-extended \u2013 even though you were riding at your target power.<\/p>\n

There are lots of reasons why an objective measurement can differ from your RPE \u2013<\/p>\n